Homily for Memorial of St. Philip Neri

Homily for the Memorial of
St. Philip Neri

May 26, 2026
Collect
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Painting of Sts. Michael, Philip Neri, & Francis de Sales
(Cathedral of Turin)

“O God, you never cease to bestow the glory of holiness on the faithful servants you raise up for yourself” (Collect).

At the heart of the Counter Reformation, God raised up great saints for the authentic reform of his Church.  Contemporaries included Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), Charles Borromeo (1538-1584), and Philip Neri (1515-1595), preceded in the previous generation by Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) and Francis Xavier (1506-1552).  In a notable coincidence, 4 of those saints were canonized together on March 12, 1622—the same year Francis de Sales died, rounding off a superb sextuplet of sanctity raised up by the Lord.

Ecclesia semper reformanda refers not only to moral reform—which touches each of us daily in our striving for conversion—but also pastoral reform, which radical so-called “traditionalists” don’t admit, giving rise to the likes of the Society of St. Pius X and various sede vacantist schismatics.

The city of Rome needed both kinds of reform in mid-16th century, when Philip Neri, an outsider from Florence, arrived around 1533.  Philip’s approach to reform, both moral and pastoral, was to make authentic Christianity a joyful affair, not something heavy like Luther’s or Calvin’s nor the later perversion of Jansenism.

Using his charismatic cordiality, humility, and cheer, Philip began as a layman to tend the sick and the poor and to encourage young men and women to grow closer to God, especially thru frequent confession and Communion.  His confessor pointed him toward the priesthood, and he was ordained in 1551.  He became Rome’s apostle, opening his home to gatherings for prayer, song, discussions, games, and outings, calling his program an oratory.  Their Scripture-based musical works were called oratorios.  One of Philip’s disciples was Giovanni da Palestrina.  You could say Philip’s ministry was an early form of theology on tap.  Like-minded priests gathered around Philip, and he gave them a basic, non-monastic rule, turning his oratory into a congregation without vows that took the name Oratory.

Apart from that congregation, the program spread around Italy, offering young people prayer, catechism, and fun.  Eventually, Don Bosco adopted it, and recent convert John Henry Newman brought the association, the Oratorians, to England.

Philip Neri made “the love of God poured into our hearts” (introit) cause for rejoicing.  The Gospel, after all, is “good news.”